THE AUSTRALIAN TEAM

Hokitika Guardian, 7 February 1930, Page 3

THE AUSTRALIAN TEAM

(“Bunvbod” in “Dominion.”)

The fights for the mythical Ashes of cricket which take place about every two years between England and Australia arouse the keenest interest throughout the sporting world, and in no country is the progress of these keen tussles followed with livelier interest than in the Dominion of New Zealand, which is rapidly developing a cricketing sense.

It is Australia's turn to make an invasion of the Old Land this year, and England will have the advantage of defending “The Ashes’* on their own soil, with the full power of their playing strength, available for selection at a moment’s notice to suit the particular wickets upon which the Tests will have to be decided.

England, as all the world knows, paid a heavy toll of her virile manhood during the Great War, and suffered a severe setback for some years following the great world upheaval. In three series of Test matches following the war, Australia won twelve games, while all that John Bull could do was to win one game and draw two. Then came the memorable wet season of 1926, when four of tho Test matches in the Old Country were drawn. The last one, therefore, had to bo played out, and England regained “The Ashes” by signally defeating Australia by 289 runs. That England had fully recovered from her war wounds Percy Chapman and bis valiant English team proved two seasons back when they went to Australia, and demonstrated their undoubted superiority by taking the rubber in three straight wins. The Australians appeared to be overwhelmed, but rallied towards tlie close of the, Englishmen’s tour, and restored confidence by winning the last Test match in convincing fashion. <

AN EXPERIMENTAL ISJDE. The team which Australia is sending to England this year is probably the most youthful side which lias ever carried the old gold and bluegum green colours. The stalwarts who had kept Australia supreme on the cricket field after the war one by one had to drop out on account, of advancing years. The injury which ‘compelled Jack Gregory, Australia’s fast bowler, to drop out of the team during the first Test match at Brisbane in 1928 was a serious blow to Australian cricket. But there are as good fish in the sea as ever came out df it, and during the past few seasons young Australian players have been seizing their opportunities with Both hands.

■ The Australian cricketing aufthori-i ties have adopted the progiussive policy of combing the whole Commonwealth for latent talent, and it has paid them handsomely. In nearly every State, country weeks fire held, during which the most promising country players engage in a series of games in the cities. This has led to some rare discoveries recently. Don; Bradman, who hit up the world’s record score of 452 (not out) for New South Wales against Queensland at Sydney a few. weeks back, is a youthful country player whose name was unknown in Sydney three years ago. Bradman to-day is Australia’s outstanding batsman, and has quite overshadowed such gjrcat players as Ponsford and Woodfull. .Bradman’s methods are his own. He believes in boldly attacking the bowling, and keeps on doing it. Off theory or leg theory, it is all the same to him; he will hit both, and hit them hard and often. S. McCabe, who has also won a place in the Australian team for England, is another country player, who hails from Bathurst. He is another rapid-scoring batsman, fast-moving fieldsman, and capable howler. USEFUL ALL-ROTWDERS.

The strength of the 1930 Australian team will lie in its useful all-round-ers. McCabe/" Fairfax, Bradman, A’Beckett, Grimmett, Homibrook, Hurwood and Wall can all perform with both bat and ball. There will be no tail to the side, and the Eng-; lishmen will have to dig them out down to the last man.

The Australians should have a great batting side with Woodfull, Ponsford, Bradman, Jackson, Kippax, Richardson, McCabe, Fairfax and A’Beekett to call upon. It will be very interesting to see whether Ponsford will be able on tiiis tour to do any better against Larwood’s fast bowling than lie did in Australia in 1928-29. Larwood fired Ponsford out twice in the test match at Brisbane, and knocked him out in tlio second test at Sydney. The Warwickshire express certainly had the Indian sign upon Australia’s star batsman that season. Ponsford simply had no idea of how to play him. , ,

WHAT OF THE BOWLING? While the Australian hatting will be up to national standard, the bowling will have to prove itself. In this respect I think it will be. found that Australia, this year will have a strong, er bowling string than they have fielded since Gregory and McDonald proved so successful from 1920 until 1924-25. Hornibrook, Hurwood, McCabe, A’Beeett and Fairfax are all sipin bowlers, who should do well on English wickets. Wall, of South Australia, will supply the pace for the side, anti he is quite a good fast bpwler who can stand up. to any amount of work. Grimipet, as Wally Hammond, the Gloucestershire all-rounder, remarked the other day, is still the world’s most accurate slow leg spin howler, and

the Australians will be well served in this department. This youthful Australian side should be able to move fast in the field, and restore the standard for which Australia was noted in the past, but which has dropped somewhat in recent years.

In Woodfull. the Australian team will have a dignified and able leader, whose judgment is at all times sound. He. has decided opinions upon the game, and will not lie afraid to act upon them. ENTHUSIASM IN ENGLAND.

But the Australians will have to be at their very best this year to wrest supremacy from England. Not for seventeen years has /the reputation of English cricket stood as high as at the present time. In Larwood and Tate, England possesses two outstanding howlers, and Harold Gilligan, the. captain of the M.C.C. team at present with us, informed “Burwood” recently that it was a great mistake to imagine that either of these great trund.le.TS had deteriorated. He declared that Maurice Tate had bowled as well as ever he did for Sussex last season.

England has such a. wealth of ba.fting talent that the problem which will face the selectors will be whom to leave out. With Hobbs. Sutcliffe. Hammond, Jardine, Hendren, Levland. Duleepvsinhji, Woolley, Killick, Fender, Jupp, E. Tyldesley and Chapman to select, from, it will be seen what a problem the Australian bowlers will be up against. If anything like respectable weather is experienced in England this summer, it is scarcely likely that any of the first four Tests will reach finality, and the final Test, as in 1926, will have to decide the fate of “The Ashes.”